Mystery History -- Solved!

Scullery Captain wins with his 1:07 p.m. Tuesday guess "During the early days of the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, a professor explains contours and aerodynamics to a group of vehicle design students."

In the 1960 photo above, automobile design students enjoy a day in the sun as Art Center College of Design professor Strother "Mac" MacMinn leads a class.

Now called transportation design, this in one of many disciplines offered by Art Center. Some of the finest designers for the most prestigious automakers in the world are Art Center transportation design grads.


Art Center College of Design is one of the institutions that will open their doors for free on Friday, May 20, for ArtNight Pasadena. If you've never been to the Williamson Gallery at Art Center, get there on ArtNight!


Many thanks to Art Center College of Design.

ArtNight Pasadena!

From 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, more than a dozen local institutions will open their doors to the public for free during ArtNight Pasadena.

Complimentary shuttles will provide transportation among all venues, or you can join a bicycle tour.

Here's a rundown:

Alliance Française de Pasadena (34 E. Union St. / Kendall Alley) -- An exhibition by Igor de Kansky.

Armory Center for the Arts (145 N. Raymond Ave.) -- 20th anniversary exhibition featuring 20 artists, plus 3-D films and photographs.

Art Center College of Design's Williamson/Student Galleries (1700 Lida St.) -- An exhibition that explores how humans extend the limits of their biology, including art and artifacts from natural history and science, from stone tools to the Mars Rover.

Kidspace Children’s Museum (480 N. Arroyo Blvd.) -- View Alexander Calder's "Circus" video installation in the central courtyard and create circus sculptures using Calder's works as inspiration; watch a performance by Lineage Dance and view a children's art exibition.

Norton Simon Museum (411 W. Colorado Blvd.) -- Works of Wayne Thiebaud plus "Divine Demons: Wrathful Deities in Buddhist Art" and the museum's renowned collection of European and Asian art.

One Colorado (Colorado Boulevard between Fair Oaks and DeLacey) -- Enjoy Daniel Buren's installation "A Rainbow in the Sky" fluttering over the courtyard and be sure to stop by resident artist Jennifer Vanderpool's magical A Pocketful of Posies studio in Smith Alley.

Pacific Asia Museum (46 N. Los Robles Ave.) -- "Calligraffiti: Writing in Contemporary Chinese and Latino Art" explores the intersections of painting and writing, legibility and illegibility.

Pasadena Central Library (285 E. Walnut St.) -- "Touching All Bases: A Baseball Celebration" explores the unparalleled creative possibilities of America's national pastime through visual art, music, performance, film and literature.

Pasadena City College Art Gallery (1570 E. Colorado Blvd.) -- The exhibition "Mantong and Protong: Richard Shaver and Stanislav Szukalski" illuminates two of the 20th century’s most unusual theories of human origins, and the artists who originated them, using material that has never been exhibited.

Pasadena City Hall (100 N. Garfield Ave.) -- Live music, displays, special promotions and more.

Pasadena Museum of California Art (490 E. Union St.) -- “Wayne Thiebaud: 70 Years of Painting” and “Behold the Day: The Color Block Prints of Frances Gearhart.”

Pasadena Museum of History (470 W. Walnut St.) -- "Family Stories: Sharing a Community's Legacy" explores Pasadena’s many communities through the personal, multigenerational stories of six local families.

Pasadena Symphony at Pasadena Civic Auditorium (300 E. Green St.) -- Enjoy a sampler of the orchestra's upcoming 2009/2010 Classics Series.

Side Street Projects (730 N. Fair Oaks Ave.) --
Art and food will be celebrated with a lettuce-planting party on The Armadillo, a vertical garden on a transformed FEMA trailer.

Click here for more information.


Many thanks to the various institutions for use of the photos.

Looking for Something to Do?

Here are highlights of upcoming events sponsored by the City of Pasadena. All events are free.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

6:30 p.m. – “Streets, Traffic and Transit” is the topic of a panel discussion followed by plenty of audience Q&A at PCC’s Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd. as part of our General Plan update. Speakers are Ellen Greenberg, an expert in smart mobility, sustainable streets and transit-oriented development; and Philip Erickson, president of Community Design + Architecture and a planner, urban designer and architect with special expertise in city streets. (626) 744-4009.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

* 6:30 p.m. – How can Pasadena’s bikeway system be improved? Bring your best ideas to a meeting at Jackie Robinson Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 744-7254.

* 7 p.m. – All seven Pasadena City Council members will host discussions in their respective districts about future priorities for Pasadena as part of our General Plan update. The first will be hosted by City Councilman Terry Tornek for District 7 residents at Hamilton Elementary School, 2089 Rose Villa St. (626) 744-4009.

SATURDAY, OCT. 3

11 a.m. – The Latino Heritage Parade will begin on Los Robles Avenue at Howard Street, head south to Washington Boulevard, then west to a jamaica/community fair at La Pintoresca Park with free arts and crafts, entertainment, exhibits and food until 4 p.m. Wave to City of Pasadena officials in the parade and stop by the City of Pasadena booths at the jamaica! (626) 791-7421.

SUNDAY, OCT. 4

5 p.m. – Join Pasadena City Councilman Terry Tornek for a walk through District 7. Meet at the Assistance League’s Craft Fair Gift Shop, 820 E. California Blvd. Parking is available in the lot at the shop and on Hudson Avenue. The walk, which will begin promptly at 5:15 p.m., will highlight scenic Arden Road and the Caltech campus, followed by a raffle and refreshments. For more information visit www.upandmoving.org or call District 7 Field Representative Pamela Thyret at (626) 744-4737.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

* 3 p.m. – From parks to community centers, the City of Pasadena has plans for making structural improvements to public places so people with disabilities can use them safely and conveniently. Learn more at a community meeting hosted by the Accessibility and Disability Commission in the Grand Conference Room (basement room 038) at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. (626) 744-4762.

* 6:30 p.m. – Pasadena City Councilman Steve Haderlein will host a District 4 workshop about future priorities for Pasadena at the historic Stuart Pharmaceutical Building, 3660 E. Foothill Blvd., as part of our General Plan update. (626) 744-4009.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

* 7:30 a.m. – Join Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, Fire Chief Dennis Downs and Pasadena Forward’s Executive Director Israel Estrada for a walk around the 3.3-mile Rose Bowl Loop. Meet at Gate A at the Rose Bowl Stadium. (626) 831-2980.

* 6:30 p.m. – Pasadena City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson will host a District 1 workshop about future priorities for Pasadena at the Rose Bowl Press Box, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., as part of our General Plan update. (626) 744-4009.

FRIDAY, OCT. 9

* 6 to 10 p.m. – More than a dozen of our community’s finest institutions will open their doors for free during ArtNight Pasadena. Complimentary curb-to-curb shuttles will whisk you from one venue to the next. Be sure to stop by Pasadena Central Library, where the Crown City Chamber Players will perform classical hits. www.artnightpasadena.org. (626) 744-7887.

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

* 8 to 11:30 a.m. – Are you ready to go solar at your home? Price reductions, a 30 percent federal tax credit and hefty rebates from Pasadena Water and Power make it easier than ever! Learn more at a workshop at the Salvation Army, 960 E. Walnut St., including a comprehensive overview of incentives, how to choose an installer, and more. Reservations are required. (626) 744-6970.

THROUGH OCT. 10

Register for after-school homework help, tutoring and recreation on school days through May 28 for kids in first through eighth grades at Robinson Park Center, 1085 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 744-7501.

THROUGH OCT. 12

Have you taken one or more MoveAbout Tours yet as we prepare for the General Plan update? Download a guidebook or pick one up at Pasadena Central Library, Pasadena City Hall and other locations. Be sure to include your feedback and return your booklets no later than Monday, Oct. 12. The General Plan is the blueprint for our community's future, so let your voice be heard! (626) 744-4009.

Many thanks to Latina Heritage for use of the parade photo.

Looking for Something to Do?

Here are highlights of upcoming events sponsored by the City of Pasadena. All events are free.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

* 6 p.m. -- What's in store for the Hahamongna Watershed Park Annex? During the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee meeting at La Casita del Arroyo, 177 S. Arroyo Blvd., there will be an update on the Sunset Overlook project plus an update and consideration of recommendations on adoption of the park master plan amendment for the annex. (626) 744-4321.

* 6:30 p.m. – As part of our General Plan update, help map out the most important qualities and characteristics of Pasadena and define the community’s most pressing issues during a workshop at Boys & Girls Clubs of Pasadena, 3230 E. Del Mar Blvd. (626) 744-4009.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 30

* 1 p.m. – This week’s film in the Donald R. Wright Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St., is “A Beautiful Mind” about Nobel Prize-winner John Forbes Nash’s experiences with schizophrenia. (626) 744-4066.

* 6:30 p.m. – “Streets, Traffic and Transit” is the topic of a panel discussion followed by plenty of audience Q&A at PCC’s Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd. as part of our General Plan update. Speakers are Ellen Greenberg, an expert in smart mobility, sustainable streets and transit-oriented development; and Philip Erickson, president of Community Design + Architecture and a planner, urban designer and architect with special expertise in city streets. (626) 744-4009.

THURSDAY, OCT. 1

* 6:30 p.m. – How can Pasadena’s bikeway system be improved? Bring your best ideas to a meeting at Jackie Robinson Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 744-7254.

* 7 p.m. – All seven Pasadena City Council members will host discussions in their respective districts about future priorities for Pasadena as part of our General Plan update. The first will be hosted by City Councilman Terry Tornek for District 7 residents at Hamilton Elementary School, 2089 Rose Villa St. (626) 744-4009.

SATURDAY, OCT. 3

11 a.m. – The Latino Heritage Parade will begin on Los Robles Avenue at Howard Street, head south to Washington Boulevard, then west to a jamaica/community fair at La Pintoresca Park with free arts and crafts, entertainment, exhibits and food until 4 p.m. Wave to City of Pasadena officials in the parade and stop by the City of Pasadena booths at the jamaica! (626) 791-7421.

SUNDAY, OCT. 4

5 p.m. – Join Pasadena City Councilman Terry Tornek for a walk through District 7. Meet at the Assistance League’s Craft Fair Gift Shop, 820 E. California Blvd. Parking is available in the lot at the shop and on Hudson Avenue. The walk, which will begin promptly at 5:15 p.m., will highlight scenic Arden Road and the Caltech campus, followed by a raffle and refreshments. For more information visit www.upandmoving.org or call District 7 Field Representative Pamela Thyret at (626) 744-4737.

TUESDAY, OCT. 6

* 3 p.m. – From parks to community centers, the City of Pasadena has plans for making structural improvements to public places so people with disabilities can use them safely and conveniently. Learn more at a community meeting hosted by the Accessibility and Disability Commission in the Grand Conference Room (basement room 038) at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave. (626) 744-4762.

* 6:30 p.m. – Pasadena City Councilman Steve Haderlein will host a District 4 workshop about future priorities for Pasadena at the historic Stuart Pharmaceutical Building, 3660 E. Foothill Blvd., as part of our General Plan update. (626) 744-4009.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7

* 7:30 a.m. – Join Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, Fire Chief Dennis Downs and Pasadena Forward’s Executive Director Israel Estrada for a walk around the 3.3-mile Rose Bowl Loop. Meet at Gate A at the Rose Bowl Stadium. (626) 831-2980.

* 6:30 p.m. – Pasadena City Councilwoman Jacque Robinson will host a District 1 workshop about future priorities for Pasadena at the Rose Bowl Press Box, 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., as part of our General Plan update. (626) 744-4009.

FRIDAY, OCT. 9

* 6 to 10 p.m. – More than a dozen of our community’s finest institutions will open their doors for free during ArtNight Pasadena. Complimentary curb-to-curb shuttles will whisk you from one venue to the next. Be sure to stop by Pasadena Central Library, where the Crown City Chamber Players will perform classical hits. www.artnightpasadena.org. (626) 744-7887.

SATURDAY, OCT. 10

* 8 to 11:30 a.m. – Are you ready to go solar at your home? Price reductions, a 30 percent federal tax credit and hefty rebates from Pasadena Water and Power make it easier than ever! Learn more at a workshop at the Salvation Army, 960 E. Walnut St., including a comprehensive overview of incentives, how to choose an installer, and more. Reservations are required. (626) 744-6970.

THROUGH OCT. 10

Register for after-school homework help, tutoring and recreation on school days through May 28 for kids in first through eighth grades at Robinson Park Center, 1085 N. Fair Oaks Ave. (626) 744-7501.

THROUGH OCT. 12

Have you taken one or more MoveAbout Tours yet as we prepare for the General Plan update? Download a guidebook or pick one up at Pasadena Central Library, Pasadena City Hall and other locations. Be sure to include your feedback and return your booklets no later than Monday, Oct. 12. The General Plan is the blueprint for our community's future, so let your voice be heard! (626) 744-4009.

Many thanks to Latina Heritage for use of the parade photo.

My ArtNight

I had to miss ArtNight Pasadena in March and October last year, so this time around I was determined!

On Friday night fourteen arts and cultural institutions threw open their doors for free for our 21st semi-annual event.

Jan Sanders, Stephanie DeWolfe and I set out at 6 p.m., starting at City Hall where there was a jazz combo, bistro, information table, shuttles and friendly people to answer questions.


Jan, at left below, is our library director, formally known as director of information services; Stephanie is our deputy director of planning and development.



We hopped a free shuttle and headed off to Side Street Projects.



Side Street had a huge array of the funkiest vehicles I've ever seen, and on display that night only.

Here's a sampling:





We stepped aboard Side Street's Woodworking Bus where children learn basic woodworking techniques.



There's a wall of blocks that children have personalized.



Then we hopped another shuttle and headed to Pasadena Museum of California Art, where everybody got free admission to their remarkable exhibition titled Data + Art: Science and Art in the Age of Information, curated by Jet Propulsion Laboratory's visual strategist Dan Goods and Mars public engagement outreach coordinator David Delgado.

All I can is Wow. Dan and David have translated scientific data into new art forms and challenged everyone's assumptions about where beauty can be found.

From closeup three-dimensional images of Mars to digital modeling created by keywords and rhythms captured on a computer, this exhibition was astounding.





Our final stop was Pasadena Central Library, where a Mexican fiesta was taking place to celebrate this year's One City, One Story novel "The Hummingbird's Daughter."

There was something happening in every room, from live music to folk dances to crafts.






Many of the adult participants in the Human Services and Recreation Department's Adaptive Recreation Program were displaying their fiesta-themed art in the library's Centennial Room.



So that was my ArtNight experience! There were plenty of other venues that had performances and exhibitions going on, but we decided to choose three venues, go to dinner and call it a night.

I'm sure there were others who did the entire circuit, which I did one year. It's a pretty ambitious undertaking.